Imagine that things you have always enjoyed no longer brighten your existence. You feel alien among your friends and relatives, and nobody seems to understand you. Your mental state is getting worse every day, and you no longer find the reason to live. This is what happened to Esther, the...
Looking for The Bell Jar summary and analysis? You’re in the right place! In the article prepared by our experts, you’ll find a synopsis, an illustrated plot timeline, and chapter summaries of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. 📃 The Bell Jar Synopsis Despite the numerous events and feelings described...
The novel by Sylvia Plath introduces many characters to the reader. In The Bell Jar, Esther Greenwood, her mother, and Buddy Willard are the main characters. They meet with two doctors (Dr. Gordon and Dr. Nolan), several of Esther’s boyfriends (Marco, Constantin, and Irwin), and some of Esther’s friends (Doreen...
There are more themes in The Bell Jar than one-article analysis could explore. Femininity, patriarchy, power, control, madness, and health are all mentioned in the novel. In this article prepared by our experts, you will find a comprehensive analysis of the key themes in The Bell Jar. They force the...
The Bell Jar symbolism is revealed in everyday objects and metaphors the protagonist uses in her inner dialog. The setting, genre selection, specific language, and literary devices enhance the reader’s impression of the character’s movement from depression to madness. If you’re looking for The Bell Jar analysis, you’re in the...
Sylvia Plath described the universal fear of making the wrong choice. Her protagonist becomes paralyzed and falls into depression as she feels she is not good enough for any of her aspirations. Of course, such self-distrust and alienation from society stem from her mental illness. Less than a year after...
The Bell Jar is a profound novel where everyone can find something relatable. You may (and should better) have never had depression, but you are (or have been) young and fought with life’s controversies. In any case, the novel would never leave you indifferent. What is The Bell Jar about?...
The Bell Jar was banned for many reasons, including its blasphemous words and discourse on the topics of suicide and sexual life. But the most critical reason for such rejection was that the book undermined the traditional ideals of a woman’s role as a mother and wife. More Information Sylvia...
The novel by Sylvia Plath cannot be limited to only one central theme. Feminism, social pressure, gender inequality, sanity and mental diseases, mother-and-daughter relationships, body vs. mind, and personal ambitions are some of the controversial issues raised in the book. Still, the themes of gender inequality, depression, and body vs....
A bell jar is a metaphor for loneliness in a mental illness. The protagonist lives in a vicious circle of her thoughts and anxieties. To achieve improvement, she needs to lift the bell jar. However, Esther needs medical help to do that. At the end of the book, the bell...
The Bell Jar is most often classified as Coming-of-age fiction. But it is also an autobiographic novel with fictional elements. The writing contains extensive passages of self-analysis of the main character. For this reason, The Bell Jar is also a novel in the genre of psychological realism. More Information There...
The Bell Jar narrates the events that took place in reality in the summer of 1953, adding some fictional details. The autobiographic novel mentions the Rosenbergs’ execution that happened in New York in the same year. Besides, the protagonist’s health history reflects the author’s experience of the same year. More...
Sylvia Plath wrote The Bell Jar in 1961. It was her only published novel. She was an American poet most famous for her collections Ariel and The Colossus. She committed suicide in 1963, a month after the publication of her novel. Plath was the first person who won Pulitzer Prize...
Sylvia Plath’s husband revealed most facts about the creation of The Bell Jar after her death. The novel was ready in 1961, eight years after the events described in it took place. Before Plath sat to write The Bell Jar, she had gone through a long-lasting writer’s block. It took...
The Bell Jar describes a story of a 19-year-old girl who went to New York for an internship at a magazine. This experience could have inspired her but results in a severe depressive episode. She survives several suicide attempts. However, by the end of the book, the protagonist’s condition improves....
The Bell Jar is a psychological novel by Sylvia Plath in the genre of Coming-of-age fiction. The author used her biography as a source for the plot. Unfortunately, she committed suicide just a month after the publication, and the book was banned for some time. Nevertheless, it offers a true-to-life...
